banks



(Mode1.) 2 Shets-Sheet 1.

J.BANKS..

BREAD CUTTER.

No. 284,798. Patented Sept. 11,1883.

WITN O INVENTOR BY Q ATTORNEYS (M0de1.) l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. BANKS.

I BREAD CUTTER. N0. 284,798. Patented Sept; 11, 1883.

WITNESSES; I INVENTOR :foZu 34%](3 (ma BY am Qfif ATTORNEYS N, PETERS. PfinlwLilMgnphon Washington. 0, c.

JOHN BANKS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BREAD-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 284,798, dated September 11, 1883.

Application filed July I, 1883.

(ModeL) To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN BANKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bread-Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in bread-cutters, as pointed out in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in'which Figure 1 represents a plan or top view. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partly in section. Fig. 4 is a side view.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, the letter A designates anv angular box, which serves to support the bread to be cut, Fig. 3. This box rests upon a platform, B, which is fastened between the cheekpieces 0 O, on the bottom edges of which are secured a series of traverses, D. To these traverses may be secured suitable legs for supporting the machine. Between the platform B and the traverses D is fitted a sliding tray, E, from the outer end of which rises an abutment, F, while on its inner end is firmly secured a bracket, G, 011 which is fastened the feeder H. This feeder can be adjusted by a set screw, a. On one side of the sliding tray E is fastened a toothed rack, b, Fig. 2, which meshes into a pinion, c, mounted on avertical arbor, (Z, which has its bearing in a box, 6, Fig. 4, secured'to the side of the cheek-piece C. On the upper end of this shaft is mounted a ratchet-wheel, f, and with this ratchet-' wheel engages a pawl, g, which is pivoted to a lever, I, and held in gear with the ratchetwheel bya spring, 71 The lever I has its fulcrum on a pivot, 2', secured in a bracket, J, which is fastened to'the cheek-piece G, and a spring, j, has a tendency to force said lever. outward. The free end of the lever extends through a slotted bracket, K, which is secured to the cheek-piece O, and is provided with two or more holes, 7c, toreceive a pin, Z, which serves to adjust'the stroke of the lever and the action of the pawl g on the ratchet-wheel f. 1 L is the knife, which is pivoted to the upper end of a lever, M, the lower end of which is pivoted to a bracket, N, secured to the first one of the traverses D, Fig. 3. The knife is ground from the outside only, and it moves in guides O O, secured to the cheek-pieces O O in such a position that the inner flat face of the knife is in close proximity to the outer edges of the box A and of the platform B. On the inner face of thelever M is secured atappet, A handle, 1?, serves to operate the knife. On the bracket N is formed a stop, 0, to limit themotion of the lever M of the knife L.

The loaf or piece of bread to be cut is placed into the angular box A in front of the feeder H, and when the knife is raised and drawn in the direction of the arrow marked on it in Fig.3 the lever M strikes the free end of the lever I. Said lever is forced inward, and by the action of the pawl g on the ratchet-wheel f the tray-E and the feeder H are moved forward, so as to pushthe loaf or piece of bread out beneath the cutting-edge of the knife. If the knife is then depressed and forced back, a slice of bread is cut off, the thickness of which depends upon the greater or smaller motion imparted to the tray and to the feeder. If the pin Z is placed in the outer one of the holes 7c in the bracket K, the ratchet-wheel is turned two teeth for each stroke of the knife; but if the pin is placed into the inner one of said holes k, as shown in the drawings, the ratchetwheel is turned only for one tooth, and the feed motion is consequently decreased. The slices of bread which are cut off drop upon the tray E, the first slice being retained in an upright position by the abutment F, and since the tray is always fed forward, together with the leaf, room is provided on the tray to receive each successive slice.

The box A, in which the bread rests, is made angular, so that when the knife begins to cut it does not come down on the flat sur face of the bread, but 011 the corner, thus making the out much easier. The knife is ground on one side only, which enables it to make a clean out.

By adjusting the feeder the machine can be .set for pieces or loaves of bread of different sizes, and by adj usting the feed motion the machine is set to cut slices of different thickness.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a bread-cutter, of the angular box A, the pivoted swinging lever H, the knife connected at one end with said lever, the tray E, arranged to move under the box, the feeder H, connected with the tray, the lever I, operated by the swinging of the lever M, and devices connecting the lever I and the tray, to advance the latter when the said lever is vibrated on its pivot, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a bread-cutter, of the boX for receiving the bread, the swinging and horizontally-moving knife, the movable tray beneath the stationary bottom of the box, the feeder connected with the tray and moving above the bottom of the box, and mechanism connecting the tray with the swinging knife, to intermittently advance the tray by the rising and horizontal movements of the knife, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a bread-cutter, of the box for receiving the bread, the pivoted upright lever M, the knife L, connected with the lever and adapted to rise and move longitudinally,.the lever I, pivoted at one end and carrying the pawl g, the arbor d, carrying the ratchet-wheel f and the pinion c, the tray located beneath the bottom of the bread-receiving box, and having at one side a rack, b, and a feeder, H, for moving above the bottom of the box, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set' my hand and seal in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' JOHN BANKS. [L s.] Witnesses:

W. HAUFF,

D. VAN SANTVOORD. 

